Gotta love sensational headlines like this one:
Gamers Are 35, Overweight — And Sad, CDC says
About the fifth paragraph in, the article notes: "The study, based on a 2006 online survey of 552 people … who were living in the Seattle-Tacoma area of Washington state…" (Emphasis is mine).
Pardon me for noticing, but isn't the Seattle-Tacoma area known for its above average per-capita depression rate? So perhaps releasing findings that state that your survey subjects are depressed might have something more to do with the overriding prevalence for said depression, than any influence gaming might have on them?
Far be it from me to disagree with the CDC, but god am I tired of "well meaning" doctors and bureaucrats bemoaning the evils of videogames without bothering to have the goods to back up their claims. (There was yet another "learned man of science" on the radio Friday, talking about his concerns about addiction in World of Warcraft who prefaced his remarks with the statement that he really didn't understand the game, nor how it operates. Kudos to this guy for acknowledging his ignorance, but perhaps he should spend a little more time understanding the problem he's trying to treat before issuing proclamations that videogames are addictive.)
Yes, I am aware that there are reasonable concerns expressed about games and their influence on today's society. I understand that abuse is possible and that addiction may be a reality. I understand that not everyone 'gets' videogames (especially older demographics) and that fear of the unknown, especially where our media and its affects on kids are concerned … witness the uproars over comics, movies, TV and music over the course of the past 60 years for signs of history repeating itself.
But that doesn't make me any less tired of the bullshit.
Gamers Are 35, Overweight — And Sad, CDC says
About the fifth paragraph in, the article notes: "The study, based on a 2006 online survey of 552 people … who were living in the Seattle-Tacoma area of Washington state…" (Emphasis is mine).
Pardon me for noticing, but isn't the Seattle-Tacoma area known for its above average per-capita depression rate? So perhaps releasing findings that state that your survey subjects are depressed might have something more to do with the overriding prevalence for said depression, than any influence gaming might have on them?
Far be it from me to disagree with the CDC, but god am I tired of "well meaning" doctors and bureaucrats bemoaning the evils of videogames without bothering to have the goods to back up their claims. (There was yet another "learned man of science" on the radio Friday, talking about his concerns about addiction in World of Warcraft who prefaced his remarks with the statement that he really didn't understand the game, nor how it operates. Kudos to this guy for acknowledging his ignorance, but perhaps he should spend a little more time understanding the problem he's trying to treat before issuing proclamations that videogames are addictive.)
Yes, I am aware that there are reasonable concerns expressed about games and their influence on today's society. I understand that abuse is possible and that addiction may be a reality. I understand that not everyone 'gets' videogames (especially older demographics) and that fear of the unknown, especially where our media and its affects on kids are concerned … witness the uproars over comics, movies, TV and music over the course of the past 60 years for signs of history repeating itself.
But that doesn't make me any less tired of the bullshit.
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